Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of IndependenceThomas Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence and, according to Bellis, Jefferson was also a jurist, a diplomat, a writer, an inventor, a philosopher , architect, gardener, negotiator of the Louisiana Purchase, but asked that only three of his many accomplishments be noted on his grave. (2005). Thomas Jefferson was a very intelligent politician and knew what to say to whom to increase their support. This essay will be an analytical article discussing Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence. It will also clarify the fundamental ideas contained in the Declaration of Independence; the Declaration's influence on the American Revolutionary War and the reasons why the Declaration was considered a "landmark document." Biography: Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 in Shadwell, Virginia. His mother was Jane Randolph Jefferson; his father was a landowner named Peter Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson attended the College (1760-62) of William and Mary. In 1769 he began six years of service as a representative in the Virginia House of Burgesses. In 1770, construction of Monticello began on the land inherited from his father. It took years to build, but according to an Internet article Brief...Jefferson, when he married Martha Wayles Skelton on January 1, 1772, part of the Monticello mansion was ready for habitation. Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson had six children, but only two survived to adulthood and four died in infancy. (Short…Jefferson, 2005). In 1776 he was chosen to draft the Declaration of Independence, “which has ever since been regarded as a charter of American and universal liberties” (Brief…Jefferson, 2005). The same year he also left Congress, returned to Virginia and served in the legislature, and was elected governor from 1779 to 1781. In 1874, in France, he resumed public service, “first as commissioner of commerce and then as successor to Benjamin Franklin as Minister” (Brief…Jefferson, 2005). According to the article Brief…Biography, in 1790 Jefferson accepted the position of secretary of state under his friend George Washington. In 1794 he defeated Adams as president of the United States, and the first noteworthy accomplishments of his term as president were the purchase of the territory purchased from Louisiana in 1803 and, of course, his support for the Le... middle of paper. .....a little too much. There were or still are those who believed that this document was the irrational result of the irascibility with which Jefferson wrote at certain times. At the end of the document “We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, assembled in the General Congress, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do in the name and by the Authority of good people... FREE ATATI AND INDEPENDENT; WHO ARE ABSOLVED from all allegiance to the British Crown…” (Jefferson, 416). I find that the idea that men are created equal is the main focus of this document, and therefore separated England from America during Jefferson's time, which was the late 18th century. Works Cited Bellis, Mary. "Thomas Jefferson: His Life as an Inventor." About.com. 2005. May 4, 2005. http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bljefferson.htm.Jefferson, Thomas. “The Declaration of Independence.” The American Tradition in Literature: 10th ed. vol. I. (414-416). 04 July 1776. 2002. McGrawhill.Malone. “Short Biography of Thomas Jefferson. (1743-1826). 1993. 04 May 2005. http://www.monticello.org/jefferson/biography.html.